AN ABSOLUTE APPROACH

Chinese EV maker NIO offers smart technologies and a holistic view of the electric vehicle experience. Ahead of its arrival in the west, Autovolt talks to NIO Europe vice president Hui Zhang about the company’s innovative user concepts

- Richard Gooding

Hugely successful in its homeland of China, you’d be forgiven if you hadn’t heard of the premium electric vehicle manufacturer NIO as the company doesn’t sell vehicles outside of the country. The first team winner and a founding manufacturer of Formula E, NIO was founded in 2014, the company’s mission is to cultivate a ‘joyful lifestyle’ for its users by offering a range of smart EVs, that give the best user experience and encourage a more environmentally aware way of life. It’s a statement that Hui Zhang, NIO Europe vice president believes in. “From the outset, NIO never placed selling cars as the objective of the company. The mission was fixed to shape a sustainable lifestyle. It’s all about the home, and to make your life more holistic,” he says. Indeed, there is an NIO Community, which includes a radio station that produces its own content. Penetration rate is high, with over 90% of NIO’s 68,000 users in China. NIO’s app has been downloaded 1.3 million times, making it one of the most popular in China, fuelling the NIO ecosystem and providing part of that vital holistic experience. ‘NIO Houses’ also offer drivers the NIO experience. That integrated user experience will come to European markets in the second half of 2021.